How to Kid-Proof Your iPad with Guided Access

Children LOVE the iPad…or any touch screen device, for that matter. But especially the iPad. Something about the big, bright screen and Apple’s GUI makes it a kid magnet. If you’re like me and you routinely have to mind an Angry Birds-obsessed 3-year-old, you already know how easily tiny fingers can find their way to strange parts of the iPad (or iPhone). You can disable WiFi or even turn cellular data off to prevent unauthorized web browsing, but that’s tedious and unnecessary, and it doesn’t keep young users from venturing to other parts of the tablet they shouldn’t be going. Enter “Guided Access,” the best way to turn your iPad into a single app device.This option was developed for teachers and parents to quarantine children into a single application and prevent accidental settings changes or unapproved app purchases.

Steps to Keep Your iPad (and child!) in a Single App

1. Open Settings, then General.
2. Under Accessibility and then Learning section tap on “Guided Access”
3. Turn the switch to “ON” and then set a passcode using “Set Passcode”
4. You’ll then have the option to enable Screen Sleep, which maybe be handy if your kid is prone to leaving your iPad on after getting his or her fill of using your tablet.
5. To access Guided Access mode now, launch your target app, then triple-click the Home button to bring up the Accessibility menu.
6. From here you’ll be able to choose whether hardware buttons are off, touch access is available, motion detection is on, and disable certain parts of the screen from being accessed (shown above). Unless your password is compromised, your iPad should be set for single app use only now.

That’s it! Now, if your young iOS user attempts to back out of the app (either on purpose or accidentally) they’ll be stopped short. If they (or you) triple-click the Home button, a four-digit code must be entered before Guided Access can be disabled